More European cities are fighting against heavy ‘obese cars’ like pickup trucks and sports utility vehicles (SUVs). Paris, among others, is moving ahead with a plan to make overweight cars pay more parking fees. Other cities are also growing exasperated by the impact of SUVs. Amsterdam and Brussels, among others, are examining measures to discourage entering the town.

Paris’ figures show the number of SUVs in the city has increased by 60% in the past four years, causing increasing nuisance. “There are no dirt or mountain roads here. An SUV is completely useless in the city,” said Paris deputy mayor Christophe Najdovski.

From January 2024, it plans to introduce new and more expensive charges to stop the rampant growth in the weight and size of cars. In doing so, the Paris city council is translating a sentiment shared by many environmentalists – think of their actions to deflate the tires of SUVs to keep them out of the city.

Brussels orders study

Lyon and Tübingen, in southwest Germany, have also already announced that parking permits for large cars will become significantly more expensive. The same song is in Grenoble, where the city wants to introduce weight-based charges for car parks and on-street parking. Pressure groups in France, in turn, want a tax on the purchase of SUVs that would be used to fund public transport.

In Dutch cities, too, annoyance at the impact of ever-larger cars has been growing for some time. The city of Amsterdam, for instance, is watching Paris’ plans with interest.

And according to the newspaper De Morgen, the Brussels Region has also asked for a study to map out how many SUVs are driving around in the region and their impact. The report is expected by the end of this year, after which it can be used in coalition talks after next year’s elections.

Big polluter

The SUV has already taken the largest market share in new vehicle registrations in Belgium since 2017. According to the newspaper La Dernière Heure, the vehicle has a 49,3% market share in Belgium.

According to a report from the International Energy Agency (IEA), the world’s SUVs collectively released almost a billion metric tons of carbon dioxide, as much as Japan, the world’s fifth-largest emitter.

Globally, SUV sales continue to grow, and it has become the most popular vehicle in the world. The IEA report also noted that the average SUV consumes about 20% more oil than the average medium-sized car does to drive the same number of kilometers.

Even electric SUVs are responsible for more CO2 emissions in the manufacturing process. Bigger cars need heavier batteries, and heavier vehicles require more materials to produce; therefore, more energy goes into processing materials.